The Doctor and The Rogue
by Built on the Horizon
Summary: Doctor WhoXmen crossover. Slightly AU. The Doctor meets Rouge in New York and invites her to be his new companion. Full discription inside. Possibility of some Ryro in the future. Rated T for safety.
1. An Introduction

_**Set: A while after Doomsday from the Doctors perspective, and a short time after X-men 3, from Rogues perspective. Small changes: Rogue did get the cure, but did not return to the mansion, instead, she wandered around New York City, the whole, "Humans becoming mutants" thing is a part of Earths history, so, for the Doctor, it is a completely natural visit also, there was no bride in the TARDIS after Doomsday, I didn't want to figure out a reason for that! I'm making this up as I go along, so it could change dramaticly. There is a chance of Pyro joining the scene in the future, so, keep your heads up, Ryro fans!**_

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'_First the women, then the foreigners, and now this!' _The Doctor thought, rolling his eyes, glancing at wall of anti-mutant graffiti. _'Humans and their prejudice, they never learn.'_

The Doctor wandered down the streets of New York, America, 2013. He didn't quite know why he had chosen this time or place, but here he was. First time back on Earth since Torchwood. He was over the worst of it now, the nightmares were becoming less frequent, and he no longer felt sick in the stomach whenever he thought of her, his Rose Tyler. The Doctor couldn't bring himself to go to London for the first visit since he left her, couldn't even bear going to England. So he settled for America. It was a strange time to visit, even he would admit that. It was not long after the so-called "Cure" had been released, promising to "Rid mutants of their powers, letting them become normal." The Doctor grimaced at the use of words, especially "Normal.", there is no such thing, in his humble opinion, for the Doctor, "Normal" was having two hearts, travelling in a police box and having life threatening danger on a day-to-day basis. You try to tell a human that that was "Normal". But that hardly mattered; the "Cure" had been proved only temporary and most of the mutants who had taken it already had their powers their powers return. The Doctor forgot to look where he was going and just stopped in time to avoid walking into someone.

'Sorry,' the Doctor apologised almost automatically as he continued on his way, vaguely realising that he had managed to walk right into an alleyway, but he was stopped by a large hand on his shoulder.

'Sorry?' the deep voice was tinted in anger. The hand roughly pushed so the Doctor was facing the owner of the voice, 'who do you think you are, then?'

It wasn't the wisest thing to do, but the Doctor could resist, 'Well, I think,' he said, enunciating his accent, 'that I am me, unless you have some evidence to the contrary?'

'He thinks he's funny.' The large man turned to face two other men that the Doctor had not seen before, if he had, he might have thought twice about that last comment, 'I say!' The large man put on a horrible British accent, 'Tea and biscuits? Jolly old chap!' The man pushed his hands into his pockets, imitating the way that Doctor stood, 'Guvnor! What do you say about giving me a good beating? There's a good chap.'

The Doctor winced at the sight of this horrible imitation, if it wasn't for the implication of a lot of pain in the not to distant future, the situation would be almost funny. All three thugs turned on the Doctor, closing in on him.

'Now now, don't go doing something rash now…' The Doctor slowly backed away. He considered pulling out his sonic screwdriver, but firstly, getting it out would make them think he had a gun and secondly, the screwdriver couldn't hurt anyone, it was useful for bluffing, sure, but to humans in this day and age, it didn't exactly look threatening.

The Thugs moved in closer, forming fists and flexing muscles. They were so close now; the Doctor could smell their cigarette ridden breath.

'Hey!' A voice; strong and definite with a hint of a southern accent made all four heads turn. A young woman, early twenties, the Doctor guessed, stormed up to them. Her long hair was auburn, except for two unnaturally white streaks at the front. And she was obviously mad.

'You!' She screamed at one of the stunned men, pushing him against the wall, 'Ah touched you!' Tears were streaming down her face and none of the men could move, 'Ah felt you, and they ya just left meh!' She suddenly rounded on the rest of them, 'You three! Out! Now!' The two other thugs didn't need to be told twice, they were already in the distance by the time the Doctor turned around.

'Uh…' The Doctor put up a hand.

'Go!' The girl yelled.

Shrugging, the Doctor wandered out of the alley, turning into a small coffee shop next to it. He got a table outside where he could see the path leading from the alley. He ordered a cup of tea and waited. His tea arrived and he took a sip before spluttering it back into the cup.

'_Americans,'_ The Doctor thought, _'They just don't get how to make a cup of tea.'_

He looked up to see a slightly dishevelled, but much calmer woman with brown hair and a white streak walking out of the alley, alone.

'Hello!' The Doctor said brightly.

Slightly annoyed, she looked around, trying to find him.

'Down here.' He helped her search.

She looked down at him, obviously curious why someone with a cockney accent was talking to her.

'Are you alright?' The Doctor asked, pushing out the extra chair at his table with his foot, indicating that she should sit down, 'You look like you could use a good cup of coffee.'

She sat in the chair, confused as to why she was doing what she was doing; the Doctor had that effect on people.

'I'm the Doctor, by the way.' He introduced himself.

'I'm Rogue.' The girl answered

The Doctor raised an eyebrow 'Rogue? Something tells me that's not your real name.'

'Something tells me "The Doctor" isn't your real name either.' She shot back.

'I see,' The Doctor smiled, aware that her accent had faded slightly when she was calm, 'We each have our secrets, let's just leave it at that.'

Rogue got a waitresses attention and ordered a coffee.

'So, what did you do to him?' The Doctor asked.

'What?' Rogue pretended not to know what he was talking about.

'The man, in the alley, he still hasn't come out yet.'

'Ah knocked him unconscious.' It wasn't exactly a lie, he _was_ unconscious, 'He'll be a'right' she added, just in case the Doctor was worried.

As her drink arrived, Rogue put a hand up to receive it and the Doctor noticed her hands were covered in leather gloves. He frowned inwardly, it was cold for a New York midday, but he didn't think it was that cold, but he decided to let it go. Rogue sipped her drink, 'What is that?' she asked, nodding at the untouched cup in front of him, and sniffing, 'tea?'

'A rubbish imitation of tea.' The Doctor stared at the cup.

'Never did like tea, it's too… I dunno… wrong.' She finished lamely.

'Never doubt the wonders of a good cup of tea.' The Doctor smiled.

Rogue took a sip of her coffee in silence. The Doctor didn't have a drink that he could distract himself with; at least, one worth drinking, so he just stared at her, Rogue, apparently, didn't like that at all.

'Why're you doing this, Doctor?' She asked, setting her cup down.

'It's a reflex of mine,' said the Doctor. 'I see someone in trouble and I try to help them. I can't help myself.'

'Do I look like I need your help?' Rogue got defensive.

'No.' the Doctor admitted, folding his arms on the table and leaning on them, 'You look like you just need a hand to hold.'

Rogue stiffened, 'I will not be…' she broke off in a mixture of anger and tears, 'I wont fall for it again!'

'I would never do that to you.' The Doctor replied in all honesty.

Rogue frowned into her cup, her gloved hands shaking, 'I'm leaving.' She got up, kicking in her chair, the Doctor made no attempt to stop her, he just watched her.

'I'll be around for a while,' The Doctor said as she began walking into the distance, 'Don't be afraid to talk to me.' The Doctor smiled, he could see by her posture that she was wondering if it was the right thing to do, if she should turn around and sit back down, but she didn't. The Doctor sighed, he knew that he would see her again soon, until then; he could just wander around New York City.

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_**Slow start, but it will get better. Reviews are welcome, especially constructive criticism, also, if someone could give me tips on how to write Southern and Cockney accents, it would be greatly appreciated, I'm an Aussie, so I don't know much on that matter. Any ideas on plot points are okay too, I'm not promising anything, but at the moment, I've only got a few scenes in my head, so you never know, I might write your idea!**_


	2. An Invitation

The Doctor walked down a street on the slightly darker side of the tracks of New York City. Buildings were old, worn, falling down; they always had a kind of charm to them that the Doctor liked. He must have looked strange, walking around this part of town wearing a pinstripe suit and a long brown coat, but the Doctor liked that, being slightly strange in most places, it suited how he felt most of the time. For some reason, a dirty window caught his attention. He pushed his face against it, trying to see inside. A figure was facing away from the Doctor, looking at a pile of books on a desk. Something was achingly familiar about the way they stood. The person looked around the small room that might have been an old shop and the Doctor saw a white strip of hair lining their face. _'Rogue?'_ The Doctor thought, _'What are you doing here?'_

The Doctor moved towards the door, trying the handle. Locked. He reached into his pocket, pulling out his ever handy sonic screwdriver. He pressed it against the lock and lit it up with a ghostly blue glow. The lock gave way and the Doctor went inside.

'Rogue?' he asked cautiously, taking a few steps inside the dirty old shop. Slowly, she turned to face him, her green eyes glistening in the dim light yet never focusing on anything. The Doctors grip on his sonic screwdriver tightened, he knew that he was not facing the same girl talked to in the coffee shop, same body, perhaps, but not the same mind.

'What do you want?' The Doctor addressed whatever it was that had taken control of Rogue.

'Revenge.' The single word was enough to chill the Doctor to the bones; her voice was raspy, like a shouted whisper, her gloved hand was hidden behind her but her arm was shaking.

'Revenge for what?' The Doctor's usual relaxed posture and voice had disappeared, replaced with the harsh and demanding tone he used when lives where at stake.

'You hurt my sister, you made her cry!' The thing inside Rogue's body answered. The Doctor said nothing, using the silence, pressing it on the creature, forcing it to tell him everything, 'She came back to us, happy to be with us, but her heart was broken, you forced her to leave her friend. I spent an entire year floating around this planet, looking for you, searching, then I found this girl, she was so alone, but she had seen you and I knew that you would find her again.'

'_Last year,' _the Doctor thought, _'when was I on Earth in 2012?' _with a shock, he remembered, the Olympic games in London. That meant…

'Isolus! I command you to leave that body, under jurisdiction of the Shadow proclamation, convention 4.' The Doctor commanded.

The Isolus didn't answer, instead, it just turned around to look at the table, as it did, and the Doctor got a glimpse of what her gloved hand was doing.

Drawing.

The Doctor swore so harshly, not even the TARDIS was game enough to translate it. The hand stoped moving and the drawing was complete. Immediately, the door in the corner, which the Doctor hadn't seen before, began to shake, buckle, like some huge creature was ramming into it. Without hesitation, the Isolus moved to the door and flung it open. The Doctor didn't have a chance, he was knocked to the ground before he even knew what hit him, but he was prepared. A huge hand locked itself around the Doctors throat, cutting of his airflow.

'_This is when I love my respiratory bypass system.'_ The Doctor didn't need to breathe, at least, not for a while, but it was a luxury that he preferred. He pressed the tip of the sonic screwdriver against the arm that was holding him and activated it. The creatures hold on the Doctor was released as the animated drawing became the size of a tennis ball. The Doctor got up off the floor and threw the drawing in the direction of the Isolus in the body of Rogue. She didn't move to catch it, and let it bounce on the ground. The Doctor raised the sonic screwdriver to eyelevel, pointing it directly at Rogues face, arm outstretched.

'Do you know what this is?' The Doctor said threateningly.

The Isolus looked at it blankly, 'A sonic probe.'

'Screwdriver!' The Doctor got defensive, 'And it can do a lot more than put up shelves, believe me.'

The Isolus stared at him, saying nothing.

'Ionic power is a very simple thing,' the Doctor explained, 'Simple, effective, and very, very easy to disrupt. With the push of a button, I can take your ability to harness ionic power from you for the rest of your life.' It was a bluff, but a very well pulled off one at that, the Isolus was already starting to panic, 'Can you imagine it? No play, for the rest of your childhood, stranded in your pod, unable to entertain yourself for thousands of years. Now, leave that body and you will keep your power.'

Rogues hand slipped into her pocket, pulling out a small orange, walnut sized pod. Rogue's head rolled backward, her mouth open in a silent scream, her head jerked around as the Isolus escaped from her body, floating into the small pod. Rogues body went slack and the Doctor grabbed her shoulders, slowly lowering her to the ground. The pod hovered in the air, and then spun in a circle, shooting out of the dirty window. The Doctor stared at the cracked glass for a moment, just to be sure that it was gone, and then he turned his attention back to Rogue. She wasn't unconscious, but she wasn't up and running either.

'Rogue.' He called, wincing at how similar it sounded in his throat.

She frowned and groaned slightly, then sat bolt upright, clutching her head.

'Whoa! What the…' She saw the Doctor looking down at her, 'Doctor? What happened?'

'Your body was taken over, by a creature called an Isolus.' The Doctor said.

'By a telepath?' Rouge asked.

'Not quite.' The Doctor explained to her that the Isolus feed off their brothers and sisters emotions, when he had sent the lost Isolus home, her attachment to Chloe Webber must have been greater then what he first thought. One Isolus had decided to seek revenge for separating the other Isolus and Chloe, searching for the Doctor.

'And you just let it go?' Rogue asked, by this time, they were out of the shop, walking and talking down the street.

'What else could I do to it? It's just a confused child.' The Doctor said.

'So, it's an alien.' Rogue was trying to get a grip on what exactly the Doctor was on about.

'Yep.'

'Are you crazy?'

'I am definitely not crazy.' The Doctor clarified, 'well, I say not crazy, I mean not all the time, well; I say not all the time...'

Rogue laughed, the Doctor seemed like he belonged in an insane asylum, but Rogue found herself trusting everything he said.

'And where are you from?' Rogue asked, 'a mental institute?'

'I travel around a lot.' The Doctor evaded the question, not wanting to have this conversation here.

'But where do you live?' Rogue prodded for information. They just turned a corner and saw a strange blue box standing on the footpath.

'Here.' The Doctor grinned proudly, running behind it.

'You live in a box?' Rogue scoffed.

The Doctor poked his head out from behind the TARDIS, 'That's "Police Box" thank you very much.'

Rogue rolled her eyes, walking to where the Doctor had stood, but he had gone. She found a small handle on the police box and pushed the door inward, turning around and closing it after her. The first thing she noticed was the light, it wasn't dim, but quite well lit, and the next was she wasn't at all cramped. Slowly, she turned. Her breath caught in her throat. She couldn't believe it, it was impossible, but there it was. Rogue opened the door and ran back outside, staring at the mysterious police box. Placing a gloved hand on the painted wooden door, she slowly paced around it, half expecting to walk into a hidden room, but it wasn't long before she was back to where she started. Cautiously, she went back inside to see a grinning Doctor.

'Impossible.' Rogue breathed, 'It's bigger on the inside.'

'Yes, the TARDIS is dimensionally transcendental.' The Doctor said, matter-o-factly.

'What's that mean?'

'It means it's bigger on the inside.'

Despite the circumstances, Rogue laughed.

'So, this is how you travel?' Rogue took a timid step up the metal ramp, feeling like she would believe anything he told her.

'Yep! I can go anywhere in time and space.' The Doctor was obviously proud of Rogues reaction.

'On your own?' Rogue glanced at him quizzically.

The Doctor tore his eyes away from her and busied himself with the controls. She said that exactly the same as _her_. 'Yes.' He answered solemnly, then he jerked his head back up. 'Unless…' He swallowed and tried again, 'Unless you'd like to come with me?'

Rogue cocked her head, 'What?'

'You don't have to come,' The Doctor hurried on, 'but I just thought, you'd might want to join me-'

'I'd love to.' Rogue blurted out. The Doctor grinned; they were acting like two kindergarteners asking to be friends.

'What's this called?' Rogue slowly walked in a circle around the control room, looking like she was expecting to walk into the back wall at any second.

'TARDIS. That's an acronym by the way, Time And Relative Dimensions In Space.' The Doctors mouth was moving at high speed, Rogue only caught a couple of words, dematerialization, Time/Space continuum, vortex… Rogue couldn't understand what he was saying even if she really tried.

The Doctor glanced over at her, just to make sure she was getting what he was saying, immediately, he knew something was wrong, her eyes were glazed over and she was gripping the railing as if she would collapse if she didn't.

'Are you alright?' The Doctor asked.

Rogue shook her head, 'No.' she admitted, 'I feel really… weak.'

'That'd be an after effect of the Isolus.' The Doctor guessed, 'Can you walk?'

Rogue nodded, leaning on the Doctor to keep her steady, he lead her over to the door, through the twisting corridors, up and down spiral stair cases and passed dozens of doors that looked exactly the same, until he pointed one out at the end of a hallway.

'That's your bedroom.' The Doctor explained. When they cam closer, he did not push the door open, nor did the door slide away "Star Trek" style, it just dissolved, faded into nothing like it was a fog that just got blown away.

Rogues eyes widened, 'wow,' was all she could say.

Inside, it seemed to be a mix-match of furniture from throughout the ages, a large medieval four poster bed, a book shelf from the early 1900's, a table and mirror from Ancient Greece, not to mention more than a few things that Rogue had no idea what they were, the effect was startling yet strangely comforting. Rogue sat on the bed, closing her eyes for a moment, willing her head to stop spinning.

'Have a good sleep.' The Doctor instructed, 'There are some clothes in the cupboard, my room is next door if you need anything.'

Rogue fell back on the bed, breathing deeply. The Doctor excused himself, making the door form behind him.

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**_I rather liked this chapter, but the best is yet to come!_**

**_Thank you to my_** _**reveiwers, Dybdahl, Gamine Madcap, screaminheathen69 and Rogue.Arcanis, you guys are awesome! I love getting reveiws. Thanks for the info Gamine Madcap. Rogue.Arcanis, i think i'm alright with the accent, but if you see something a bit off, tell me.**_

**_Remember, lots of reveiws mean happy author which mean faster updates!_**


	3. An Interesting Night

The Doctor placed his quill back in its ink pot, fiddling absent mindedly with the feather, winding it around his fingers. Every time he made a new companion he recorded it in a very special scroll, indication when, where and how they met. The TARDIS kept records of anyone who travelled with him, but it was always nice to see it in his own writing. He rolled up the parchment and slotted it back into its hole, alongside a hundred different books, holograms and stone tablets. A new companion, a new adventure. Rogue. There was so much that he didn't know about her, and so much that she did not know about him. Rogue. Why did that name seem so familiar?

'Argh.' A low moan came from the room next door, so quite that a human wouldn't be able to pick it up, but the Doctor could, it sounded scared, hurt and angry all at the same time. His protective side kicking in, the Doctor walked up to her bedroom door, he hesitated outside, wondering if he should just leave, but another groan convinced him to enter.

Inside, he could see Rogue asleep on her bed, but she was quite obviously having a nightmare, the sheets were in a crumpled heap at the end of the bed, she was sweating so much that her hair and sleeveless nightgown she had found were sticking to her skin and she was thrashing around, mumbling under her breath.

'Rogue.' The Doctor called, hoping she would wake up; she didn't so the Doctor took another step inside, 'Rogue.' He called again. Her hands formed fists as they beat against an unknown enemy, her head tilted back and she screamed an inhuman scream that resonated around the small room. A low hum made its way to the Doctors ears, he turned, trying to find the source, for a moment, Rogue relaxed on the bed, but her breathing was still ragged. The Doctor finally found where the hum was coming from, a handheld metal mirror that was sitting on the dressing table. It began to shake, rattling on the table as if an invisible creature was beating the desk. Then, without warning, it rose three feet into the air and shot across the room, missing the Doctor by an inch and denting the wall. The Doctor whipped his head back to the girl in the bed who had started to move again. If he let this go for any longer she was going to hurt herself. He grabbed her arms, forcing them down onto the bed, shaking her slightly, calling her name. She calmed for a moment, and then franticly tried to push the Doctor away, fighting to get out of his grasp.

'I'm not going to hurt you, Rogue.' He soothed. 'Just, trust… you've got to…' he trailed off as he realised that he no longer had the strength to continue. In fact, his entire body felt like it was just shutting off because it didn't have the power to work. His sight blackened at the edges, one heart racing while the other beat slow, forcing blood through his veins in huge bursts. He couldn't talk, couldn't move, and it was getting difficult to breathe. He looked down at his hands, dimly aware that he was gripping Rogue hard enough to bruise her. His legs collapsed underneath him and he fell into a crumpled heap on the ground, his hands dropping away from her arms. He fell to the ground; head swimming as he slowly lost consciousness. The last thing he remembered was Rogue sitting up in her bed, fear etched on her face.

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The Doctor groaned then sat bolt upright, he always knew where he was as soon as he awoke.

'Whoa!' The Doctor grabbed his head, then looked up at Rogue, 'Rogue?' The Doctor stood. She was sitting on her bed in the same position she was in when the Doctor blacked out, she hadn't moved the entire time he was unconscious. Her face was blank and she was staring at the end of the bed.

'I don't want to close my eyes,' Rogue spoke up, still staring into no where, 'I'm scared of what you'll show me.'

'What happened?' the Doctor waved a hand in front of Rogues face.

'You touched me.' Rogue shrugged, as if it was obvious.

The Doctor eyed her pair of gloves that were placed on the dressing table. He slipped them on even thought they were the wrong size and sat next to her, 'Rogue, listen to me, what happens when you touch someone?'

'If they are mutants, I borrow their powers for a while; I also absorb their memories, feelings and some of their personality.' The well practiced words spilled out of Rogues mouth, sounding like she wasn't even talking about herself.

The Doctor frowned, 'What? So you're going to start acting like me?'

'Which you?' Rogue breathed, 'Looking in a mirror… so many faces.' Rogue blinked and shuddered at what she saw. 'A million Dalek ships aflame, your entire planet burning up… you had to make the choice, you sentenced your own people to death, you almost thought it was worth it, but it was all for nothing, three times already, it was for nothing.'

'Rogue, I know, I have experienced a lot of horrible things, and I'm sorry, I'm so sorry that you had to see them too.' The Doctor said, 'But there are good things too, a hundred blissful days on the fourth moon of Namarc, look for that.'

Rogue closed her eyes, but opened them after a moment, gasping for breath, 'I can't, there's too much pain.'

The Doctor placed his gloved hands on her shoulders, gently pushing her down, 'Lie down.' He instructed.

Rogue complied, placing her head on her pillow. The Doctor went to place his hands on her head, but she grabbed his wrist, her tear filled eyes meeting his deep brown ones.

'I understand why you do it.' She swallowed, trying to fight back the flow of tears, 'sometimes, you pick them up while they are sleeping, and leave them in their bed at home, and go without saying goodbye. I understand, Doctor,' she let out a sob, 'the goodbyes hurt too much.'

The Doctor gave her a look that she couldn't quite decipher, and brushed the hair out of her eyes.

'Try to go to sleep.' He told her.

'Promise me I'll wake up here.' She begged, her emerald eyes pleading with him.

'I promise.' The Doctor nodded, 'Now, close your eyes.'

Rogue obeyed, fighting back the tears as she saw a thousand deaths of people she felt that she loved. She felt gloved fingers touch her temples and the images faded. Her limbs went slack as she succumbed to the sleep that had been nagging at her bones. She forced her eyes open; just to look at him once more. She noticed a small wet trail that glinted in the light, running from his eyes to his jaw. One question burned in her mind as she drifted off to sleep.

Had the Doctor been crying?

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**_This is my favourite chapter! i always thought about what it would be like for Rouge to touch the Doctor, thats where this story came from! more up soon, after that, i may be a while. _****_Thanks for the reviews everybody! i loooove them! Send more!_**

**_Next chapter: _**

_'Who...' Her voice cracked with emotions that she didnt understand, 'Who was Rose Tyler?'_


	4. Memories and Tears

Rogues eyes fluttered open.

'Whoa!' she grabbed her head and sat up. She had a splitting headache, _'Man!'_ she thought. _'This feels worse than the hangover I had after I went drinking with Logan. And that's saying something!'_ She was no longer plagued with memories of things she had never seen, but she still got feelings, images and voices. _'I need an aspirin.'_ She shook her head, looking around her room. A large, comfortable looking leather reading chair that had not been there before was facing her. A pair of black, thick-rimmed glasses was folded neatly, resting on a heavy book titled _The Chronicles of Narnia_, and beside them, a tall glass of water and two white tablets. Rogue smiled, at the thought the Doctor had put into it. Rogue placed the tablets in her mouth and washed them down with a long gulp of water. It was the most pure water she had ever tasted, it was like all the water she had ever drunk was copies, shadows and this was the real thing. Rogue smiled and she brushed a finger along the rim of the glasses. She could just imagine him, sitting in the chair, reading a book, watching her sleep and touching her mind occasionally, just to make sure she was sleeping peacefully. She walked to her cupboard and selected a long dark blue dressing gown made of an alien material that felt like furry silk and slipped it on. She desperately needed a drink. She walked along the hallway; her feet felt like they were moving in the right direction with a thousand years of experience, which wasn't far from the truth. She approached an ordinary wooden door that she knew to be the kitchen and pushed it open. Inside, clean granite benches and oak cabinets lined the walls. Arms folded on the centre table, the Doctor's head hung over a mug of tea. His face softly lit by three tall candles in the centre of the table. He glanced up at the sound of the door opening and gave Rogue a weak smile.

'Couldn't sleep.' He explained with a shrug.

Rogue smiled. He had done very well, recovering that quickly from a connection that lasted that long.

'You feeling alright?' the Doctor's brow furrowed, glancing at the hand on the table that seemed to be holding her up.

'Yeah, horrid headache, though, thanks for the aspirin, by the way.'

'The what?' The Doctor asked.

'The aspirin.' Rogue answered, 'There was some aspirin on the bedside table when I woke up.'

'Ah, that'd be the TARDIS.' The Doctor scratched the back of his head, 'Its telepathic, so-'

'I know.' Rogue interrupted, tapping her head, a sly smile creeping across her lips. She pulled down a mug and flipped a switch, causing the kettle to boil. She picked up a tea bag from a small box and dropped it in her cup.

'I thought you didn't like tea.' The Doctor pointed out.

'I don't.' Rogue answered simply, pouring the hot water into her mug, feeling the steam dance in her face, 'You do.'

The Doctor gave a small laugh. Rouge took a long sip of her tea, letting the heat roll down her throat.

'We used to do this all the time at my old school.' Rouge pulled up a chair across the table from the Doctor, 'So many people had nightmares and we all used to meet in the kitchen and drink hot chocolate.'

'Which school would that be then?' The Doctor was keen on getting to know Rogue a little bit better.

'Um,' Rogue tucked a white strand of hair behind her ear, 'Xavier's school for gifted youngsters.'

The Doctors jaw dropped, 'You're kidding.' He said in disbelief, 'Professor Charles Xavier? The X-men?'

'Yeah.' Rogue was avoiding eye contact, feeling uncomfortable talking about the people she had abandoned.

'That's why the name Rogue sounded so familiar!' The Doctor grinned, 'You're part of the Elite X-men! Marie D'Ancanto!'

'Rogue.' She corrected softly, she was not Marie anymore, not since her powers returned.

'Of course.' The Doctor bowed his head respectfully.

'The X-men are secret, how do you know about them?' Rogue steered the conversation away from her.

'Well, yeah, now they are, but head forward about, um, twenty years? Common knowledge.' The Doctor shrugged. He glanced down at her shaking hands, 'Why did you take the Cure?' He prompted.

Rogue looked up, surprised at such a personal question, but she found herself answering before she knew what she was doing, 'I thought it was what I wanted, but you wouldn't believe how much regret I felt when the needle left my skin.'

'Wouldn't I?' The Doctor held her strong stare. Rogue broke the contact; he had felt much more than she ever would, she had, mercifully, forgotten that.

'I couldn't bear going back to them,' she continued, 'I deserted them when they needed me most.'

'The Doctor had a sip of the now cold tea, 'They'd take you back, you know.'

'You're not getting rid of me that easily,' Rogue forced a smile, 'Anyway, how could I go back? Not after I've seen inside your head.'

'And now your powers have returned.' The Doctor stated.

'Yes.' Rogue gazed miserably at her hands, 'They came back the day before I met you… Oh…' she gave a half smile, 'that was only yesterday.'

'Actually, day before, by now.' The Doctor corrected. 'Is the absorbing your only power?'

'Yes.' Rogue answered, 'Why?'

'Um,' The Doctor tried to find the best way to put it, 'When you were dreaming, a metal mirror flew across the room by itself.'

Rogue looked shocked. 'That's impossible…metal did you say?'

'Yeah.'

Rogue frowned in concentration. The Doctor warily placed his cup on the table, tensing up, just in case things got out of control. Her hand rose toward the candles, palm outwards. Her eyes closed and she winced at the memories that were not hers. As she breathed deeply, the Doctor eyed the candle suspiciously. The small flame flickered and the Doctor caught his breath. Slowly, it bent toward Rogues waiting hand, like a light breeze was heading towards her. The flame grew longer, curving towards the young woman like a flower to the sun. It disconnected from the wick and the Doctor thought that it would fade away, having lost its fuel, but it didn't, it hovered through the air, right into Rogues waiting palm. She felt the soft warmth of the fire so close to her skin and jumped, opening her eyes. Immediately, the flame disappeared. Rogues hand clenched, and she wiped it on her dressing gown.

'I'm not exactly sure what just happened.' She said with all honesty. 'I mean, I did borrow those powers once, but, that, that was years ago, and they only last a couple of hours at best.'

'The TARDIS.' The Doctor muttered to himself.

'What?'

'Okay, when you travel through time, you soak up background radiation, its harmless, its just there. But some of my companions have shown signs of changing, heightened senses, increased agility and such.' The Doctor continued, 'it only happened to some people, and the changes where slight, but I have never had a mutant on board before. The mutant X gene may be accelerated.'

He had expected a reaction from her, a frown, a smile, anything, but there was none, just a blank stare with glazed eyes.

Rogue could think of a thousand questions that were running through her mind. She reached out and snatched one up.

'Who…' her voice cracked with emotions that she didn't understand, 'Who was Rose Tyler?'

A lump lodged itself in the Doctors throat.

'Sometimes, I see her face and hear her voice,' she continued, 'who was she?'

The Doctor stood, occupying his shaking hands by packing up the kitchen, 'She…she was my last companion.' He answered softly.

'She was very beautiful.' Rogue remembered.

'Yes. She is.'

Rogue noticed the slight change he had made to her word, 'Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know-'

'It's alright.' He interrupted.

Rogue swallowed, she knew he was uncomfortable, but she needed to know, 'What happened to her?'

'Look, Rogue, I…' the Doctor turned away, 'I don't want to talk about it.' He pushed open the door with more force than necessary and walked out, leaving Rogue to her thoughts, and his.

She screwed her eyes shut, trying to quiet the hundred voices calling for help, calling her name, no, not her name, his. The Doctor. She tried to sift through his memories, searching for Rose.

_Run! Is it always this dangerous? Culture shock. Don't worry, it happens to the best of us. Welcome to the end of the world. Is that a technical term, jiggery-pokery? Tell me who you are! This is who I am! Right here, right now. Alright? All that counts is here and now and this is me! Everything has its time and everything dies. I'm left travelling on my own cause there's no one else. There's me. I want chips. Not a bad life. Better with two. I'm so glad I met you. Is she safe? Will she always be safe? Can you promise me that? That's the thing. If I don't dare, everyone dies. Do it. You don't even know what it is. You'd just let me? Yeah. 'Cause this is my life, Jackie - it's not fun, it's not smart, it's just standing up and making a decision because nobody else will. I could save the world but lose you. You would make a good Dalek. It wasn't your fault. And do you know what? I wouldn't have missed it for the world. What use are emotions if you will not save the woman you love? I've got to do this, I've got to end it. The Daleks destroyed my home, my people. I've got nothing left. You should go back. Tough. You're stuck with me. No, I get it: for once, you're not the most important man in my life. Rose, my whole planet was destroyed, my family - do you think it never occurred to me to go back and save them? Before this war began, I was a father and a grandfather. Now I'm neither; but I'm still a doctor. Yeah, know the feeling. The world doesn't end if the Doctor dances. Everybody lives, Rose! Just this once! Everybody lives!! Blaidd Drwg. What's it mean? Bad Wolf. This ship's alive. You've opened its soul. My masters, they fear the Doctor. I'm going to rescue her! I'm going to save Rose Tyler from the middle of the Dalek fleet! And then I'm going to save the Earth! And then, just to finish off, I'm going to wipe every last stinking Dalek out of the sky! Rose? Yes, Doctor? I'm coming to get you. I'm dead - or about to die any second, with no chance of escape. Just let this old box gather dust, no-one can open it, no-one will even notice it. Have a good life. Do that for me, Rose. Have a fantastic life. Coward. Any day. I looked into the TARDIS... and the TARDIS looked into me. I am the Bad Wolf. I create myself. Everything must come to dust. All things, everything dies. I want you safe... My Doctor. The Time War ends. The power's gonna kill you, and it's my fault! I see everything. All that is, all that was, all that ever could be. I think you need a doctor. You were fantastic, absolutely fantastic. And you know what? So was I! New teeth, thats weird. Who are you? Then how can I remember this? I took your hand, I said one word. Just one word, I said..."run"! Don't challenge me, Harriet Jones! 'Cause I'm a completely new man! Can I just say, traveling with you, I love it. New New Doctor. Yup. Still got it. I'm The Doctor. And if you don't like it, if you want to take it to a higher authority: there isn't one. It stops with me. What have you done to Rose? Give her back to me. I'm so old now. I used to have so much mercy. I don't age. I regenerate. But humans decay. You wither and you die. Imagine watching that happen to someone you... What, Doctor? You can spend the rest of your life with me. But I can't spend the rest of mine with you. I have to live on. Alone. That's the curse of the Time Lords. You were my life. There comes a time, Time Lord, when every lonely little boy must learn how to dance. Why no emotion? Because it hurts. Doctor, have you known grief, and rage, and pain? Yes. Yes, I have. And they hurt? Oh yes. There is no power on this Earth that can stop me. The Domestic approach. I've trapped you here. Yeah, well stuck with you, that's not so bad. The killer of his own kind. And the lost girl, so far away from home. The valiant child who will die in battle so very soon. If they get back in touch, if you talk to Rose, just tell her ... tell her I… Oh she knows. If I believe in one thing, just one thing… I believe in her. It said I was going to die in battle. It lied. Who are you? The stuff of legends. I was a dad once. What you just say? You know what - they keep trying to split us up, but they never ever will. Never say never ever. Nah, we'll always be alright, you and me. Don't you think? Doctor? Something in the air. Something's coming. A storm's approaching... How long are you going to stay with me? Forever. A footprint doesn't looked like a boot! It's not an invasion, it's too late for that. It's a victory. You're on every street, you're in their homes, you've got their children! Of course they're gonna fight! You are proof. Of what? That emotions destroy you. Yeah, I am. Doctor... Help us. What?! Close the breach; stop the Cybermen; defeat the Daleks?! Do you believe I can do that? Yes. Maybe that's all I need. How did you survive the Time War? By fighting, on the frontline. I was there at the Fall of Arcadia. Technology using the one thing a Dalek can't do. Touch. Sealed inside your casing, not feeling anything. Ever. From birth to death locked inside a cold, metal cage. Completely alone. That explains your voice - no wonder you scream. You will never be able to see her again, your own mother! I made my choice a long time ago, and I'm never going to leave you. There's one tiny little gap in the universe left, just about to close. And it takes a lot of power to send this projection- I'm in orbit around a supernova. I'm burning up a sun just to say goodbye. This translates as 'Bad Wolf Bay'. Rose Tyler, defender of the Earth. The one adventure I can never have. Back to the TARDIS. Same old life. Last of the Time Lords. On your own? I-...I love you. Quite right too. And I suppose, if it's my last chance to say it... Rose Tyler..._

'Doctor…' Rogue breathed. She opened her eyes, somewhere during it all, she managed to fall to the floor, twitching and groaning. Tears were streaming down her face. Sitting up, she softly wept for the girl she had never met. The Doctor needed her. She knew it. All those times that he had hidden behind a cheery voice, it all built up, even her, the last Time Lord, needed a shoulder to cry on. She sought him out. Grabbing her gloves from her room, she stuck her head inside his bedroom. It was empty, but she knew where he would be. With her. Rose's room. He went there when he missed her; he felt closer to her, sometimes, he felt like she was in the room. At the top of some stairs, an ordinary door stood ajar, soft golden light pouring from within. Cautiously, she ascended the stairs, hoping that they wouldn't creak. She peered inside. The Doctor was sitting on the end of her still unmade bed, the entire room looked how it was the day she left it, clothes on the floor, hairbrush on the table. The Doctor drew a shaky breath, head in hands, elbows on knees. His body didn't shake or heave or sob, his eyes remained screwed shut, but tears were dripping off the tip of his nose and running down his arm. Rogue sat down beside him, about an arms length away, as far away as possible, while still saying, "I'm here, its okay." She gently placed a gloved hand on his shoulder. Eyes still closed, he straightened.

'Rose Tyler was the first person in eight hundred years I… I loved.' He gave a small laugh and a sad smile tugged at his lips, as if he only just voiced his feelings. 'I loved her, Rogue, and I never got to tell her that.' He fell sideways onto the bed, he head landing next to Rogue. He wept silently and she rubbed a hand up his shoulder.

Rogue answered, 'She knew.'

* * *

_**Yay! Finally done! So, what do you think? where/when should they go? what should happen? Send a review, tell me what you think should happen, and it might! Honestly, people, I love getting reviews so much! Send! What? are you still reading this? Why aren't you typing a review? Go on then!**_


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